Belonging in Faith: How Denver's Catholic Schools Are Embracing All Learners from Kindergarten to High School
- Guest Contributor
- 1 hour ago
- 6 min read
By Gladys Oster
Marketing & Events Manager
FIRE Foundation of Denver
A new wave of inclusive Catholic education is rippling through the Archdiocese of Denver.
More and more students with diagnosed learning differences or disabilities are graduating and moving on to Catholic high schools. Partnering with loving families, committed educators and welcoming communities, the FIRE Foundation of Denver has found a space to expand its mission to champion students with diverse learning needs in Catholic schools. By providing essential resources, professional development and adaptive technology, FIRE Denver is helping more students with diagnosed learning differences graduate from Catholic elementary schools and continue their faith-based education in Catholic high schools.
At St. John the Baptist Catholic School (SJB) in Longmont, Jonah thrives as an altar server, acts in the school plays, plays basketball and hangs out with “the boys,” as he calls his friends. Jonah has Autism Spectrum Disorder, and his parents originally enrolled him in public schools, hoping to bring the best resources to him.
However, after Jonah was separated from his classmates and put in a special education (SpEd) classroom by himself, his parents homeschooled him before finding the incredible inclusive community at SJB, a FIRE Denver partner school.
Caroline, Jonah's mom, has witnessed remarkable growth in her son's confidence since enrolling him at St. John the Baptist. The school's Catholic environment has instilled in Jonah a profound sense of self-worth as a child of God with unlimited potential. His perpetual positivity and comfort in his own skin make him a beacon of light in any group, qualities his parents hope will remain with him throughout life.
“With the FIRE Foundation's mission, Jonah has been able to be in a community that we love at St. John’s and get to attend school in a typical fashion… Knowing what the FIRE Foundation of Denver could do gave us confidence to believe that we could continue on with Catholic School. It has helped Jonah with his confidence and independence. He knows that he can do things without being criticized in the classroom or with peers,” said Caroline.
Within such an inclusive environment, Jonah has built strong friendships and incredible memories, including on the varsity basketball team, where teammates would support him through encouraging words or a pat on the back. Together, the team even won the championship!
With this victory, Jonah hopes to continue to play basketball in high school and maybe one day play or coach in the NBA or work as a personal trainer.
Caroline and her husband, Josef, are excited that SJB has prepared Jonah academically and socially for the next step as he approaches eighth-grade graduation. With the incredible resources and support from St. John the Baptist, Jonah is excited to attend Holy Family High School in Broomfield, where his parents met and started dating. The school is also the first high school to partner with FIRE Denver and boasts a robust Guided Studies program, through which students become more effective learners.
While Jonah's basketball teammates rally around him in Longmont, another student with similar challenges but unique talents is finding his own path to success across the metro.
As an eighth grader with Autism Spectrum Disorder, Mikey has become integral to Our Lady of Lourdes Classical School in Denver — a first-year FIRE Denver partner school, and the only one supporting students with learning differences on two campuses.
Mikey loves to play basketball and flag football, altar serve and act, even as the lead in the last two plays. At Lourdes, he has found a place where his gifts shine — with support, friendship and creative and intellectual outlets.
"Partnering with Our Lady of Lourdes Classical Catholic School is the best decision we have made for our family, and this is especially true for our eldest son, Mikey," his mother, Elizabeth Hadro, said. "After receiving accommodations for both our sons in the public school system, we decided to pull Mikey out of Kindergarten to join the class at Lourdes. At the time, we did not have a formal diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder… but our decision was primarily made out of a desire to have a Catholic culture for our children to thrive in."
Mikey’s many successes and learning experiences at Our Lady of Lourdes, as well as the many therapies and conferences personally sought out by his parents, have helped prepare him for high school at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory, which will be starting its first year as a Spark School with the FIRE Foundation of Denver.
After high school, Mikey hopes to attend a Catholic university, where he can grow in his faith and study political science and history. He hopes to one day work in politics.
“We believe these dreams are truly attainable due to the wonderful classical Catholic education Mikey has received at Our Lady of Lourdes,” Elizabeth expressed.
Sharing classroom space with Mikey at Our Lady of Lourdes, Trudy faces different learning challenges but benefits from the same commitment to inclusive education that recognizes each student's individual gifts and needs. During the pandemic, Trudy’s mom, Laura Smeby, noticed that Trudy was often distracted by online games or doodling. After some continued behaviors and testing, they were able to diagnose Trudy with ADHD. Laura was blown away by Our Lady of Lourdes' commitment to helping Trudy learn and thrive in school.
“We are so glad that her teachers are open to accommodations and understand that her needs are different from the average student,” Laura said. “With the hyperactivity side of her diagnosis, she can get very distracted and be distracting. Her teachers allow her extended test time in a quiet environment to combat that… What is remarkable about all of this is that instead of being deemed a distraction or a troublemaker, the administration fosters Trudy’s gifts and allows her to be exactly who God made her to be.”
Trudy will also be a freshman like Mikey at Chesterton Academy of Our Lady of Victory next school year and is excited to continue to learn and thrive in a good, Catholic community. Trudy herself recognizes the gift that inclusive Catholic education has been for her.
“Getting the support I needed for my ADHD [at Lourdes] is preparing me for high school and has given me tools and ideas that set me up to pursue my faith life…” Trudy explained, “Going to a Catholic school has helped so immensely. For example, my teachers teach in a way that all of us will understand, rather than just stating the facts. I also have learned how virtue plays a huge part in focusing. Some specific virtues that can be found are perseverance, diligence, self-giving and self-control. In focusing, especially with ADHD, you are required to persevere, give your time and effort and make sure you don’t doodle all over your math homework.”
As these three students prepare to continue their faith-based education in Catholic high schools, their stories converge to illustrate the profound impact of truly inclusive communities.
Each student’s different needs, passions and personalities all help make up the diversity within the Body of Christ of Denver’s Catholic Schools.
Driven by a desire for an environment centered on Christ and the faith, Mikey, Jonah and Trudy’s parents were determined to enroll their children in Catholic schools. United by their Catholic faith, these three eighth-grade graduates have been empowered to knock, seek and ask, in and out of the classroom.
When asked about her experience in Catholic schools, Trudy reflected more on learning and practicing the virtue of diligence.
“The word comes from the Latin word ‘diligo,' meaning ‘to love,’” Trudy explained. “This has shown me that love comes with sacrifice, and a lot of the time, you are required to give more than you feel that you can. Diligence is one of the key virtues in being a student, so it is very beneficial to be able to see the virtues you are growing in after having done hard work.”
These three students, their families and the Catholic schools that support them demonstrate the incredible fruit that comes from the hard work of inclusion. The dedication required from teachers, parents and students alike creates communities where learners of all abilities are truly valued for who they are.
As FIRE Denver continues to spread throughout Denver's Catholic schools, more students with diverse learning needs will discover environments where they can develop their God-given talents and experience authentic belonging. These confident, faith-filled graduates are ready to share their unique gifts with the world, and such virtuous diligence is always worth it.
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Want to support the FIRE Foundation of Denver? Join us at this year's annual BonFIRE Gala! An evening ablaze with purpose, this event promotes FIRE Denver's mission to ensure all Catholic school students with disabilities are welcomed, supported, and valued. Learn more here.
